Patients Age: 76
Admission Date: 11/24/15
Discharge Date: 1/28/16
Discharged To: Home
Length of Stay: 65 Days
Reason for Stay: Difficulty walking, Muscle Weakness, Encephalopathy
How did this patient hear about Chatham Hills?
A friend of her mom was here and they were very pleased with everything.
Details of Experience:

Patient Louella A. was admitted to Chatham Hills Subacute Care Center with a diagnois of Rhabdomyolysis, Difficulty walking, Muscle weakness, Morbid Obesity, Hyperlipidemia who presented to the hospital initially after suffering from heat exhaustion and a sacral wound.  She was admitted to the hospital in a state of confusion and unable to ambulate.  The patient was known to me from her son’s admission where the Activities Director and I went to her home to gather some personals for him.  At that time we knew it would only be a matter of time until she would need to be hospitalized and need subacute rehabilitation.  At that time, Louella was confined to the first floor of her home where she slept, ate and sometimes went to the bathroom in a reclining chair.  She had a half bathroom where she was able to sponge bathe but had not had a shower in at least 6 months.  We recognized the situation was dire and attempted to get her hospitalized but she declined our help.  After a few months she ended up in the emergency room with the above mentioned diagnoses and agreed to come to us thereafter for rehabilitation. 

It was important for the patient to achieve several goals before being discharged. These included lower extremity strengthening and balance.  This was achieved with seated leg exercises and standing exercises.  Rehab worked with her twice a day and successfully reached the goal of discharging the patient with a rolling walker.  She lost over 50 pounds no longer needing oxygen, a bariatric bed, bariatric wheel chair or bariatric walker.  All equipment she was discharged with were normal size which was quite an accomplishment. 

I personally became quite attached to this patient and felt a real sense of responsibility to ensure she had a seamless recovery and discharge.  Louella was discharged to an Assisted Living but before she left us, we all gathered as a team and made sure she had everything in order.  I went on 2 separate occasions to pick out clothing for her.  She had not owned a coat, wore a pair of pants or walked in a real pair of shoes for many years.  When she was leaving I personally went into her room and helped her try on her new clothes and made sure she got her hair done.  She said that I had given her a new lease on life.  This particular case was very close to all of us because she had no family and the only person she has is her son who lives here with us and has early on-set Dementia.  She made us promise we would visit her and I have every intention of doing so.